Reviews by Ciocanelu:

More User Reviews:

Presentation: Slender 11.2 oz brown bottle with a “Best Before End” freshness date on the back label.

Appearance: Dark brown bordering on black, tiny bubble lace is what is left over from a firm pouring that yielded a fine two fingered head.

Smell: Apple skin fruity and light nutty toasted malt aroma, trace of malt sweetness character and faint phenols in the nose. Suggestions of liquorice or anise are there with in the complexity.

Taste: Exceptionally crisp with a multi-layered textured carbonation that flows through the mouth quickly, the medium body is enhanced by the semi-high carbonation. Vague flavours of carob and chicory come to mind, dry toasted and roasted malt flavour throughout. Hops are nearly non-existent with ghost like leafy flavours, yeast plays on this by add its own woody and even nutty flavour. Touch of phenols and fruity apple skin are products of their environment. Increasingly drying out of the mouth the further the finish comes through.

Notes: A brew to think about, smaller that most dubbels and other strong dark ales yet close to or if not more complex. Certainly a great abbey brown (dubbel), very drinkable and modest yet with well placed aromas and flavours to bring this beer to the greatness it is. (1,268 characters)

I got this as a single at Union Jack's on the Manatawny. Date on the bottle says "best before end 2002. I'm reviewing this as an aged beer, because it's damn tasty. Poured it off the dregs on the bottom into a Kasteel glass.

Pours a slightly hazy deep mahogany with brown tints. A slight head of beige foam forms on top, then quickly drops. No lacing observed on the glass. Carbonation level looks high.

Aroma is very strong dark fruits like plums and prunes, very estery and caramel-y; smells inviting. Nothing in the way of hops, which is correct. Dark, slightly moldy cherries. Pleasant. As it warms up, you can also detect alcohol.

Flavor is huge caramel-y fruity malt and molasses. Plums, prunes, dates, cherries, all on the sweet side, and kind of cooked down.. Alcohol is definitely there. This beer is very yummy, especially considering its age. Aftertaste is of dark, dried fruit.

Mouthfeel is highly effervescent, but sweet. The finish is amazingly dry for all the sweetness.

I would absolutely buy this again. I'd like to try it newer, but for 3 years old, it's fantastic. Held up very well over the years. (1,132 characters)

335 ml from Belgian Shop. From the onset, an underrated Belgian, not much of a lasting head bt straight brown colour, aroma has licorice, fruit, sweeet malt and lots of yummy sweet yeast. Medium plus mouthfeel, like a milkshake, a bit aggressive carbonation as its fresh. Satisfying. (283 characters)

Brown in color with a very dense tan head that holds a good 1/2" throughout the glass but, surprisingly, leaves just a minimal lace. The aroma is boldly candyish. The body is light, but a very fine and highly effervescent carbonation gives a cottony softness to the mouthfeel. The flavor is quite sweet with a bready malt base and loads of sugary notes as well as some soft dark fruit (prune, plum, fig) and a light touch of chocolate syrup. There's also a very slight spiciness from the yeast, and a whisp of licorice in the finish. Although it's not a really complicated beer, the flavor is massive and continually becons you to have another taste. The finish is sweet and lightly sticky, but without becoming cloying. The alcohol is extremely well hidden. An enjoyable and memorable beer. (791 characters)

Appearance: Pours a rich brown with hints of red and orange. A touch of haze in the body. A creamy tan head starts out thick and full, and sticks at a solid cap.

Smell: The aroma is fairly sweet and rich with dark fruit, fig, and carob. There's a hint of a woody character, as well as an earthy, leathery note.

Taste: The flavor is quite laid back and a bit thin. I taste dark fruits, fig, carob, toffee, a touch of leather, and the slightest suggestion of wood. Some phenolics are present. Hint of yeasty mustiness towards the end. The aftertaste is extremely earthy and organic, which takes on almost a dark bread flavor.

Mouthfeel: This brew is incredibly creamy and rich with a wonderfully bottle-conditioned mouthfeel. It's quite velvetly and soft, with the tiny bubbles characteristic of natural carbonation.

Drinkability: Above average. This is a pretty good abbey brown (dubbel), but it suffers a bit from the thinness of flavor. The mouthfeel, however, is stunning and perfect for the style.

Overall, this is a good dubbel, but not a great one. (1,068 characters)

12 oz. slender brown bottle. Best before "010403" cleary stamped on the back label.
A deep dark brown shiny color. Head was midly explosive, then settled into a dense rich cover all the way down the beer. Minimal lacing despite a great looking head. Smells are a combination of earthy oak, subtle roasted fruits, and a sweet nutty, slight maple syrup presence. Very complex combination of sweet malt up front, subtle earthy nutmeg and maple tastes. A slight sweet toasted plum, and candied apples sneak by. Very subtle sweet tastes, but very pleasing and appropriate. Light bodied for a dark complex beer, but makes it very easy to drink. Take it slow and think about this one, very complex, interesting, and full flavored belgian beer. (738 characters)

The pour a quite pleasing deep ruby red with a modest head that is frothy in its texture, the lace nice coating sheets. Sweet black walnut tones hit the nose first, malt and a bit of fusel alcohol also present, quite nice actually, lots of malt at the start, ambrosial with the top middling in its feel to the palate. The acidity slaps the palate to an upright position, the hops tickles the taste buds, and the aftertaste all malt dry, calms you down and sets you up for the next taste. (487 characters)

This beer pours a dark brown color with a big bubbled head and lots of carbonation.

Smell is mildly roasted with spicy notes of the Belgian yeast, covered with caramel and candy sugar. This is how a dubbel should smell.

Taste full of sweet caramel and spicy notes. The spice tastes like clove and maybe some cinnamon. The malt is somewhat sweet and sticky and bosy is medium to thin. A great dubbel, which is very drinkable and mild, yet full of character. (462 characters)

Opaque black with khaki head. Head is thick, lasting and clingy. Aroma is nice roasty malt and chocolate. Flavor isn't as rich as the smell would have you believe. The high carbonation overwhelms the flavor a bit. (213 characters)

11.5 oz bottle, pours nearly black with a thin light tan head that leaves a bit of lacing. The smell is raisins and licorice, with a sharp note that I can't make my mind up about. Still, it makes my mouth water & I suppose that means it succeeded in its design. The taste is sweet up front, quickly dissolving to a dry carob-like taste. Again fruits and a pleasant nuttiness. Nice. There is a lot of tingle on the tongue but it isn't over-carbonated. The body holds it all together. Just about perfect, I'd say. The drinkability is very good, the sharp finish keeping it a hair shy of ideal but who's splitting those? All in all, a darn nice brew. Darker & more intense than I would expect in a dubbel but there's nothing wrong with that. :) (741 characters)

Dark brown/ruby with an initially thick, light tan creamy head. The aroma is quite woody, and slightly sour. Upon entering the mouth wood is again the most noticeable flavor, but this gives way to a very creamy, rich and malty mid-palate. Finish is slightly sour, and leaves what strikes me as a rather astringent aftertaste. Medium-full bodied. (349 characters)

Poured out of a bottle into a chalice glass, slight murky brown. Very lively carbonation. Perhaps a little too lively. Taste is heavy on dark fruits, candy/brown sugar, plums, figs, slight almost dessert like finish. Needed to allow some of the carbonation to dissipate to make it a drinkable beer. A great one to try and I'd probably go back again. (349 characters)

Dark brown, reddish highlights, a small but creamy and long lasting tan head. Not a lot of lacing. Aroma is sweetish, fruity and yeasty. Body is rather thin, and flavors are understated too; yeasty, sweetish and malty, but dissipates in the mouth rather quickly. Decent at best. (323 characters)

From a bottle purchased in Belgium and consumed in America. On to the beer:

This bruin is dark brown like the color of chocolate. On top sits a creamy head which turns to a layer of creamish lace. The aroma smells yeasty with fennel and a kiss of fudge . Its soft taste is welcomed, brining to the table grapes, toast, figs. It's not a very complex one, however the way the overall flavor works is worth shouting about. Also worthy of a shoutout is the mouthfeel, which is medium bodied and very pleasantly bubbly, yet the beer itself remains like velvet, like it's a double layered beer. As is the case with many Belgian bruins, this is pleasant. (648 characters)